Small Outboard Question

[gask99]

I own a few lower HP outboards...1.5 Evinrude's and Johnsons...Eska, Cruise N Carry and a few more. In my opionion, you can't beat the Evinrudes and Johnsons for reliability and not to mention, parts are still available. But when I look at the prices some of the Eska's and Cruise and Carry's are bringing,(ebay) I don't get it. Is it because they are collectable? Just wondering.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: Small Outboard Question

Hi gas. I suspect the high price has more to do with rarity than its performance as a working motor. It's a lot like collecting cars. Everyone should own and English or Italian sports car at some point, but you wouldn't actually want to rely on them everyday. These old OMC motors are so well made and so plentiful that they don't draw the same prices as some of the rarer birds, I suspect.

 

[matt167]

Re: Small Outboard Question

Cruise N Carry's are still fairly popular, advertised as the 12lb outboard and fully air cooled. I've seen runners go for $150 tho, so the prices are not really out there if you look hard enough.

 

[gask99]

Re: Small Outboard Question

...Good point. Yes, the Cruise N Carry will get 150.00 and up.....yet the old OMC stuff will hardly ever get that high.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Small Outboard Question

The air cooled Eskas and such have zero collectability. I personally wouldn't be caught dead with one hanging on the wall in my collection. The reason they sell at all is that the novices will buy them as a daily runner because they perceive them to be more trouble-free, less parts, etc. Plus, since many were not used very much (they are kinda clunky) many still look like new.

You won't find many at collector's meets. I find them at garage sales for next to nothing, while a reasonable JohnyRude will sell for decent bucks. Ebay can be an enigma at times!!!

 

[Whoopbass]

Re: Small Outboard Question

I think its just sheer ignorance and nothing more. They figure an outboard is an outboard and will bid up junk to the same price as a good named brand outboard. When I sell an outboard on ebay I take the time to make sure its running right before I list it. I see a lot of listings where the outboard will look good but the Seller will say it hasn't been started in years but it should run or they were told it runs good but haven't tested it. Often times Buyers will bid up those motors to the same price as an outboard that is listed as running excellent.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Small Outboard Question

I agree with the last 2 posts... however, I've noticed the OMC 3hp outboards from 50's and up usually go for a good price, even if the buyer doesn't even know what the compression is and the powerhead is worn out. The OMC 3's have such a good reputation, I suppose. I wouldn't want an Eska or Cruise-n-carry on my boat if I had access to an OMC. Huge difference in quality, I think. Although I'm sure there are guys that are expert tuners and such with the air-cooled engines that like them because they're so light, most folks that buy them probably don't know much about outboards. A 3hp OMC is just not so heavy that weight would even be much of an issue to me.
JMO,
JBJ

 

[64osby]

Re: Small Outboard Question

Eska's are worth what the scrap yard will pay for them, around here that's about $.35 per lb for aluminum.

If someone is collecting them they will loose their shirt.

 

[Whoopbass]

Re: Small Outboard Question

I've noticed the OMC 3hp outboards from 50's and up usually go for a good price, even if the buyer doesn't even know what the compression is and the powerhead is worn out. The OMC 3's have such a good reputation, I suppose.




Your right........I bought a real nice 3hp 1967 Evinrude at a garage sale the other day for $90. I cleaned it up and made sure it was running good and then put it on ebay. I put no money into it. It just sold for $560. I figured it would bring half that. I also had a 1962 10hp Evinrude that was in Excellent shape. I would be surprised if the motor had more then 50 hours on it. Very clean and it showed. I had it listed on ebay at the same time and it sold for only $5 more then the little 3hp. Crazy those little 3's command so much $$.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Small Outboard Question

I think the 3hp motors are far more useful than I ever realized. You can have a reliable engine that you can fish with for years and not have a lot of money in it, nor the fuel it uses. I just bought a '67 folding ducktwin off of craiglist for a great price and LOVE it. It's my first 3hp. Runs like a Singer sewing machine and has 90psi compression, which I thought was awesome. The way things are going with fuel and such, I may wind up using it far more often than I thought! I'm getting older and don't have to go quite as fast as I once did.